English Extracts.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 4, Issue 164, 10 November 1860, Page 2

English Extracts.

REVIEW op the SCOTTISH VOLUiSTEEES,

The great review by the Queen of the Scottish Volunteers in Holyrood Park, on the 7th August, passed off with the utmost success. The weather was dull in the morning and showery about noon, but after two the day was fine, with warm sunshine and a light breeze from the west, and, excepting immense clouds of dust that swept over the review ground, there was nothing to mar the comfort of those engaged. It was half-past three before the entire line was formed, nearly three-fourths of the Volunteers having had to make the journey from home that morning, and, owing to the immense pressure on the railways, several of the arrivals were very late. It is believed that the Volunteers under arms considerably exceeded the returns previously made, and numbered from 21,000 to 22,000 men, besides from 2.000 to 3,000 that were present as spectators, the latter including numerous men of the London Scottish. Her Majesty left Holyrood at half-past three o'clock, attended by a most brilliant retinue. The Duchess of Kent, at present residing at Cramond House, occupied the carriage with her Majesty, along with the Princess Alice and Prince Arthur. The Prince Consort and the Duke of Buccleuch rode on either side of the carriage. In attendance on her Majesty were Generals Scarlett, Airey, and C. Grey, the Marquis of Tweedale, and other military officers of high rank ; and in the suite were observed Mr. Sidney Herbert, the Earl of Wemyss, the Marquis of Stafford, M.P., Lord Polworth, Lord Belhaven, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, &c. The Marquis of Bredalbane, the Earl of Rosolyn, and other noblemen, were in the ranks of the volunteers ; sand Lord Eicho, in the uniform of the London Scottish, was also upon the field. Behind the saluting flag was a splendidly decorated gallery, containing about 4,000 spectators ; but it was upon the hills opposite that the great concourse took place. The vast and varied gathering could not be estimated at less than 200,000 persons. The volunteer army was commanded in chief by Gen. Sir- George Wetherall, and the ■ two divisions respectively by Lord Rokeby and General Cameron. There were about 150 different corps on the ground, marshalled into 35 battalions— one of Mounted Rifles, six of Artillery, one

of Engineers, and 21 of Rifles. There was the utmost variety of uniform, from dark grey — which a large proportion of the earliest formed corps, including the Edinburgh battalions, had adopted — to the light grey, approved by Government, and in which many of the more recently formed corps were clothed. *The marching past of this large body of volunteers occupied exactly one hour and twenty minutes, having commenced at four o'clock. Towards the close and.throughout the passing of the second division the clouds of dust continued to increase, and to a considerable extent marred the beauty of the display. The marching past being concluded, a lengthened pause took place, during which the whole line wd,s put in order to advance. At length, (xeneral ~Wetherall gave the command, which wa» repeated by the commanders throughout the line, and communicated, by the sound of the bugle. The whole army then simultaneously moved forward until the bugle called a halt. The officers then saluted with their swords and the whole line presented arms. The final command given was three cheers for the Queen, and instantaneously was the command responded to and echoed from one end of the line to the other. The cheer, which was caught up with still louder acclamation by the spectators on the hill side, was tremendous and overpowering, and continued almost without intermission for several niintites. At a quarter before six her Majesty left the ground, followed by'the renewed acclamations of the entire multitude.